PRESS RELEASE

October 2015

Shakespeare in the Royal Library

Windsor Castle 13 February 2016 – January 2017

The 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare in 2016 will be marked at with an exhibition celebrating the playwright's longstanding association with the town of Windsor and the royal court. Shakespeare in the Royal Library will show how generations of monarchs since have enjoyed the work of Britain's greatest playwright, whether acquiring copies of Shakespeare's work or producing art inspired by his plays.

The Elizabethan era saw the emergence of London as the centre of culture and commerce. Public performance thrived under the patronage of Elizabeth I, with the first permanent Bust of William Shakespeare, playhouses being built on the outskirts of the city from the attributed to John Cheere, 1560s. A print by Wenceslaus Hollar from 1647 shows late-18th century the second Globe theatre, located close to the River Thames. The first theatre was destroyed by fire in 1613 during a performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII.

On display for the first time will be Shakespeare's First Folio acquired by George IV when Prince of Wales. Published seven years after Shakespeare's death by his friends and fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell, it brought his plays together in a single volume for the first time and included a number of previously unpublished works.

One of the highlights of the display will be a copy of Shakespeare's Second Folio annotated by both Charles I and George III. Charles I probably read the folio, published in 1632, while he was imprisoned at Castle before his execution in 1649. The King inscribed the words 'Dum Spiro Spero' (While I Breathe, I Hope) on the fly-leaf of the book and wrote the names of some of the characters from Shakespeare's comedies onto the contents page. The book subsequently passed to Sir Thomas Herbert and changed hands a number of times before being acquired for the Royal Library by George III in 1800. George III corrected a note in the book that identifies Sir Thomas Herbert as the King's Master of the Revels, stating that Herbert was in fact the Groom of the Bedchamber to Charles I.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were written with performance at the royal court in mind. The comedy 'The Merry Wives of Windsor', which directly links the playwright to the historic town and the Castle, was performed in front of Elizabeth I in around 1600. There are a number of copies of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' in the Royal Collection, including

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk

a second quarto of the play (a book made up of a sheet folded to form four leaves) published in 1619, and a colourfully bound edition of the play presented to Queen Mary in 1917, which includes an embroidered image of Windsor Castle on the front cover.

Also on display will be a number of items relating to Herne's Oak, a tree that features in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' and is traditionally thought to have stood in the grounds of Windsor Home Park. A treatise on the identity of Herne's Oak published in 1867 by William Perry, Wood Carver to , is bound using wood from a tree that was believed to be Herne's Oak. The book includes a certificate of authenticity signed by Perry stating that the wood had been given to him from the Royal Gardens, Windsor and has a photograph on its cover showing the tree before it fell in 1863.

A manuscript dated 1607 shows views of Windsor Castle and the surrounding area as Shakespeare would have known it. Created for Henry, Prince of Wales (eldest son of James I), The Description of the Honor of Windesor is one of only two copies and includes locations and landmarks mentioned in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor', and which still exist today.

Ends

Shakespeare in the Royal Library is part of a visit to Windsor Castle, 13 February 2016 – January

2017.

Tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk, T. +44 (0)30 3123 7301.

A selection of images is available from www.picselect.com. For further information and photographs, please contact the Royal Collection Trust Press Office, T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected].

Notes to Editors

Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The Queen. Income generated from admissions and from associated commercial activities contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes. Royal Collection Trust’s work is undertaken without public funding of any kind.

The Royal Collection is among the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. It comprises almost all aspects of the fine and decorative arts, and is spread among some 13 royal

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk

residences and former residences across the UK, most of which are regularly open to the public. The Royal Collection is held in trust by the Sovereign for her successors and the nation, and is not owned by The Queen as a private individual.

Shakespeare400 is a consortium of leading cultural, creative and educational organisations, coordinated by King’s College London, which will mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016. Through a connected series of public performances, programmes, exhibitions and creative activities in the capital and beyond, partners will celebrate the legacy of Shakespeare during the quatercentenary year.

Admission to Windsor Castle is managed by The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity in England and Wales (1016972) and in Scotland (SCO39772).

Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk